Moldova is hosting its first EU summit in Chisinau on Friday, marking a key moment in the country’s push to join the European Union. Russian disinformation, energy security and trade ties are expected to top the agenda.
European Council president António Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will meet with Moldova’s President Maia Sandu and other senior officials for talks on Friday afternoon.
The summit will reaffirm European Union political and financial support for the country's EU accession path, amid ongoing regional challenges linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine and its attacks targeting Moldova – including disinformation and interference – which leaders are expected to condemn.
Ways to strengthen Moldova’s resilience in the face of these threats is expected to be on the agenda.
Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022, received candidate status in June 2022 and formally opened accession negotiations in June 2024.
The EU will commend Moldova’s efforts to strengthen its rule of law and fight organised crime, while pledging up to €1.9 billion in financial support through the Moldova Growth Plan for 2025-2027 — the largest aid package since Moldova’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Trade cooperation under the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, effective since 2016, will also be highlighted, alongside discussions on energy security, digitalisation, infrastructure and regional development.
Security and defence cooperation will be reviewed, with the EU having allocated €197 million since 2021 to modernise Moldova’s armed forces and support crisis management and cybersecurity.
The summit programme also includes an official welcome by Sandu, a leaders’ meeting and a plenary session, followed by a joint press conference in the evening and an official dinner.
'Foreign agents'
Meanwhile, Russia said last week that it had arrested two Moldovan citizens on suspicion of being foreign agents, and accused the country's pro-EU authorities of attempting to "undermine" its security.
Chisinau did not immediately comment, but has in turn accused Moscow of espionage.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated dramatically in recent years. Moldova has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilise it, including by interfering in government institutions and elections.
The Kremlin has dismissed the allegations as anti-Russian "hysteria" and accused Chisinau of deliberately trying to sabotage bilateral relations.
France strengthens support for Moldova as Russian destabilisation efforts persist
In a statement, Russia's FSB security service said it had arrested two men on suspicion of illegally working for Moldova's Security and Intelligence Service.
The pair allegedly arrived in Moscow using fake identity documents and attempted to carry out tasks "directed against the security of the Russian Federation", the FSB said, without elaborating.
It later published a video showing the two suspects apparently confessing and accused Moldova of "intensifying activities aimed at undermining Russia's security," Russian state media reported.
The men face up to eight years in prison if found guilty.
The Kremlin has ramped up its criticism of Moldova in recent years as the country seeks to join the EU and align its foreign policy interests with the West.
Transnistria, an area of Moldova bordering Ukraine, declared itself independent in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and is still occupied by a contingent of some 1,500 Russian troops.
EU officals have indicated that the Transnistria situation would not hamper Moldova's bid to join the bloc, with then EU vice-president Josep Borrell declaring at a 2023 press conference that: "Moldova’s path is independent of what is happening in Transnistria. Cyprus became a member of the European Union having a territorial problem. Moldova can do it."
(with newswires)
